The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Friday aimed at promoting a cartographic representation that is more faithful to the actual size of continents. Supported by Togo and the African Union, the text invites states and international organizations to prioritize projections such as “Equal Earth,” which give Africa a surface area visually closer to its reality. The resolution was adopted with 164 votes in favor, one against (the United States), and six abstentions. France is among the co-sponsors.
This African initiative seeks to address a distortion inherited from the Mercator projection, which is widely used in world maps. Originally designed for maritime navigation, this projection visually enlarges territories at high latitudes, particularly Europe and North America, while reducing the appearance of Africa and other regions near the equator.
The UN text suggests that this representation contributes to “minimizing in the minds of people the size of Africa, Latin America, and South Asia” and perpetuating an unbalanced view of the world. “Maps shape our understanding of the world,” declared Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey at the General Assembly podium. According to him, cartographic representations influence education and collective perceptions, and can transmit erroneous representations “from generation to generation.”
For the head of Togolese diplomacy, the initiative does not target “any nation, civilization, or cartographic tradition,” but seeks to promote “knowledge based on scientific rigor, respect for the truth, and the equal dignity of all peoples.”
France, a former colonial power in Africa, also supported the text. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot defended this evolution during a speech at the Sorbonne on Friday. “Changing a map obviously does not change the world. (…) But correcting a representation that distorts it is already an act of truth,” he stated.
The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution. Their representative to the UN, Yaryna Ferencevych, denounced the text as an “ideological agenda” that, according to her, distracts the institution from its priorities. “Rather than focusing on the real issues of international peace, prosperity, or good relations between countries, this body is debating cartographic projects dating back to the 16th century,” she declared, calling on states to reject the resolution.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-06 05:23:35 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.2424.mg/geographie-une-resolution-portee-par-le-togo-et-lunion-africaine-devant-lonu-veut-corriger-la-representation-de-lafrique-sur-les-cartes-du-monde/